The Malaysian Insight

NO one asked Wan Saiful Wan Jan to withdraw his police report alleging that a fellow party member used his name and falsified a party letter to attempt fraud, Perlis Bersatu chief Amier Hassan said.

Hours after he was removed yesterday as the Perlis Bersatu secretary by Amier, Wan Saiful had revealed the existence of the police report filed last month, and that he had been told to retract it.

Wan Saiful did not say who had told him to withdraw the report.

Amier said as far as he knew, nobody had told Wan Saiful to withdraw the report when the state party held a meeting last month.

“There was an attempt by this person who used Wan Saiful’s name and falsified a letter to get payment from a third party. 

“Wan Saiful made the report on December 15, if I am not mistaken; and we had a meeting the following day. 

“We asked him what he wanted to do since it was his report. Wan Saiful said the matter should be left to the police. So the matter was settled that way. Nobody told him to retract the report,” he told The Malaysian Insight.

Amier said he did not see why Wan Saiful issued a statement yesterday about the police report he had lodged after the announcement of his removal as state party secretary.

Wan Saiful’s statement, which included another claim that he was offered money to iarrange for a government contract worth millions to be awarded to a company with links to the son of a Perlis Bersatu leader, has raised questions over his removal for his party post.

Amier said he had his reasons for removing Wan Saiful but he could not reveal them at the moment.

He said he had already informed Bersatu secretary-general Marzuki Yahya of the reasons yesterday when they met in Kuala Terengganu.

Marzuki had earlier said he would investigate the claims raised by Wan Saiful, adding that if there was an integrity issue in Perlis Bersatu, the state leadership might see a revamp.

“He made the comments to the media before I met him. I have since told him the 17 reasons for Wan Saiful’s removal. 

“I cannot disclose them without the party’s permission. It involves the party’s reputation,” Amier said.

Amier had yesterday explained that Wan Saiful was dropped because he was too busy with his duties as the National Higher Education Fund chairman to attend to party matters.

Amier said today that he did not wish to talk ill of his colleague for the sake of the colleague and the party’s reputations.

“I wanted to protect the party’s reputation and his dignity.

“I removed him over certain reasons, but he used another reason that has now affected the party’s reputation and caused confusion,” he said.

Amier said he was the one who put Wan Saiful in the Perlis leadership line-up because he saw potential and had high hopes of the younger man.

“I wanted this intelligent man in Perlis. I wanted him to take over the state leadership and continue the party struggle in one or two years. I am old…near 69.”

He added that he was planning to hold a press conference tomorrow evening to further address the issue.

Wan Saiful could not be reached for comment. – January 8, 2019.